Dedication — Priorities and Availability

Bryan Schiele
03/30/25 - Sun Worship

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:40)

I want to be a more well-rounded disciple of Jesus, focused on Truth, Heart, Action, and Community. Continuing our “Cross Training” journey, let’s keep those dimensions in mind as we apply them to different aspects of Jesus, jumping back to dedication. Dedication involves counting the cost, wholeheartedness, establishing priorities, and making ourselves available to others. So why are our priorities so crucial to the Lord?

Establishing Priorities (Action)

Reclaim Your Time and Attention for the Lord

My wife and I love to sit and people-watch when we go out for dinner. In recent years, we've watched more couples — young and old — silently seated at the table together, both of them staring at their phones. What a delightfully distracted date-night! But we've been there too, as maybe you can relate. Why is it that we're so easily distracted from living "in the moment" today? How can we reclaim our time and attention for what matters most?

What You Need to Know

Right before Jesus talked about counting the cost (Luke 14:25-33), he told the story of a man throwing a grand banquet (Luke 14:16-24). “… A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses …’” (Luke 14:16-18). One prioritized a recently purchased field, saying he needed to look at it instead of coming. Another wanted to inspect the oxen he just bought. A third said he couldn't go because he got married. You see, none of the excuses prevented people from attending. They just wanted to do something else they liked better. And that's how serving God works too. You're invited, but you get to choose if you value it more than anything else.

The Bible has a word for anything that takes priority above God in your life: idolatry. When we covet possessions, "covetousness ... is idolatry" (Col. 3:5). Even blessings — like marriage, children, work, and recreation — can become idols when we mix up the order of things and put them above Christ — “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37).

What You Need to Do

Don't make excuses for distraction. It's easy to justify misplaced priorities, especially when we focus on "good" things. Remember Jesus' friend Martha, who busied herself cooking to show him hospitality? It took a wake-up call for her to see a "better" use for her time. But what if Jesus spoke to you, saying, "... You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary" (Luke 10:41-42)? We all have a little Martha in us, at times.

Examine your thoughts, expenses, and your calendar. How do you know if you "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" or chase "all these things" that preoccupy most of the world (Matt. 6:33)? Your thoughts may hold an answer. What concerns have your attention? Dump them onto a piece of paper or talk about them with a friend as you try to order them within God's service. "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Col. 3:2). Second, you can review your expenses. "Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also" (Luke 12:34). Third, scrutinize your calendar and "free time" activities (John 9:4; Eph. 5:16). Do some weeding in your garden, so "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things" don't "enter in and choke the word" (Mark 4:19). Rather than shoving more commitments into your schedule, consider what you could do for God without the added busyness. As our days fill up — even with necessary and useful activities — are we leaving ourselves enough time to build his house (Hag. 1:9-11; Phil. 3:8)?

Through the Week

• Read — Luke 10:38-42; Matt. 6:24-34; Mark 12:28-31; Josh. 24:14-15; Hag. 1:7-11
• Reflect — Ask yourself, “What distractions steal my time and attention away from the Lord?”
• Request — Pray, “Lord, clear out my life that you may rule it.”
• Respond — Examine your calendar and expenses to discover what you prioritize. Edit and adjust to put the Lord first.
• Reach Out — Ask someone, “What do you struggle to keep in its proper place in your life?”

Availability (Community)

Offer Yourself to Serve Others

When planning a big trip, you might need to book a flight, a rental car, or maybe a hotel room. But imagine showing up at the airport to discover there aren't any seats left on your flight, no cars in the rental car lot, or no vacant rooms at your hotel. What good is booking something in advance if no one's going to hold it for you? Don't you expect your reservation to be available when you need it?

What You Need to Know

Jesus' disciples often tried to shield him from interruptions, like when a blind man tried to talk to him or when small children approached (Luke 18:35-43; Mark 10:13-16). Yet Jesus constantly made himself available to the disgraced and rejected. Remember his response when questioned about eating with sinners? "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:12-13).

Sometimes I make myself an island, but Christ crossed the gulf to come near to us. He left the security of heaven and became like us, to help us at incredible cost (Phil. 2:5-8; John 1:10-14). He comes with open arms, ready to receive. "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" (Rom. 15:7). What would happen if you cleared your schedule to focus on your family, friends, and neighbors who need you? How much more impact could you have for others if you prioritized their needs above yours (Phil. 2:3-4)? You might be busy — even with important spiritual work — but making yourself available to someone in a time of need is worth the time (Luke 10:29-37; 8:43-48).

What You Need to Do

Being available to others requires you to show up, offer your support, and get deeply involved in people's lives. How do you do that? It begins by simply saying, "Yes!" Commit yourself to the work, no matter what's required. We pour ourselves out for others, spending and being spent, just like Paul did for the early church (Phil. 2:17-18; 2 Cor. 12:15).

First, we can deeply listen to someone and offer specific and targeted prayers to God about their struggles. James tells us to "confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (James 5:16). Grow your skills as a listener, slow to judge, and trustworthy to keep a friend's words in confidence. Try to invest in relationships before the crisis comes.

Second, let's take action and get involved. While our prayers are a mighty way to fight for each other, don't just offer "thoughts and prayers" as a way to keep people at arm's length. Saying "Be warmed and filled" only has power when you take the next step by getting involved, putting our love to work (James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:18)!

Third, let's move beyond patronizing "advice" to the more difficult work of burden-bearing and sharing the load (Gal. 6:1-2). Commit to listening, asking questions, and sharing in someone's challenges as you think, feel, and live through them together. "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. ... Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:13-15). With "humility, count others more significant than yourselves." Don't just look out for your interests, "but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:3-5).

Through the Week

• Read — Mark 10:13-16; Luke 10:29-37; Acts 4:32-37; Phil. 2:17-30; Gal. 6:1-10
• Reflect — Ask yourself, “What opportunities to connect and serve lie just beyond my comfort zone?”
• Request — Pray, “Lord, here I am! Send me" (cf. Isa. 6:8).
• Respond — Check in with three people, listening for ways to bless them through quality time, prayer, and service.
• Reach Out — Ask someone, “How have your relationships evolved when you've gotten more involved?”